Key to Genuine Friendship

What an incredible night we had together at our last Coffee and Conversations night. If you weren’t there, we missed you! We certainly had our share of laughter, connection and conversation as we sat by the proverbial campfire together. 

Research tells us that it takes 200 hours invested to move from an acquaintance to a friend. Relationship = investing time + being intentional. 

Our lives are meant to be shared in genuine relationship. It’s the very reason we were created. First with God, then with each other. I’m sure that many of us have experienced the beauty and safety of genuine friendship. I’m also sure that many of us, myself included, have also experienced hurt from relationships with family, friends or maybe even God.

Because of the pain many of us have experienced, we often put up walls to hide behind and protect ourselves from being hurt again, keep out disappointment, or risk of being misunderstood. I know because I’ve been there. I’ve put up walls and kept people, and even sometimes God, at a distance. However, those same walls built to protect also keep out the very things we need and long for – encouragement, accountability, being seen, being loved and genuine friendship as well. 

Sweet friend, that is no way to live! I am here to tell you that tearing down the walls and allowing yourself to find genuine friends is worth it. Yes, there is a risk by tearing down those walls, but there’s an even bigger risk to keeping them up. Let me encourage you to invest the time and be intentional about your relationships. Open the door of your heart and allow yourself the opportunity to a deeper conversation that results in genuine friendship. 

Your Friend,

Jenna

3 Questions:

1. What’s one thing you could do this week to move past shallow conversation?
2. Why do you think it is easy to fall in the mode of self-protection and often to choose to stay there? 
3. Where are the areas of your heart that you need healing?
   

2 Verses:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times.”

1 Challenge:

Take a moment this week to reach out to a friend that has stuck with you in your best of times and your worst of times. Thank them for being a true friend.